Alleged N1.6b Fraud: Ex-AGF, EFCC enter plea bargain agreement

The former acting Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Anamekwe Nwabuoku, has entered a plea bargain agreement with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the alleged N1.6 billion fraud.

EFCC’s counsel, Ogechi Ujam, informed Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja during the resumed hearing on Monday.

When the matter was called, Ujam told the court that at the last adjourned date, Nwabuoku and his co-defendant, Felix Nweke, had submitted a settlement proposal.

She stated that the parties involved had reached an agreement, which had been submitted to the EFCC’s Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, for approval.

“So, we are asking for a date to file our plea bargain agreement and amended charge,” the lawyer said.

Nwabuoku’s lawyer, Isidal Udenko, and Emeka Onyeaka, who represented Nweke, also confirmed their clients had opted for a plea bargain.

Justice Omotosho subsequently adjourned the case to Dec. 2 for the adoption of the plea bargain agreement.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the anti-graft agency had filed an 11-count money laundering charge against the duo.

Nwabuoku and Nweke, a former Deputy Director in the Ministry of Defence, are being prosecuted for alleged money laundering offences amounting to N1.6 billion.

Nwabuoku is the 1st defendant in the case, marked *FHC/ABJ/CR/240/24*, dated May 20 and filed on May 27 by Ekele Iheanacho. Nweke is the 2nd defendant.

They were accused of committing the offences while Nwabuoku served as the Director of Finance and Accounts in the Ministry of Defence between 2019 and 2021.

Nwabuoku was appointed acting AGF on May 20, 2022, under former President Muhammadu Buhari after Ahmed Idris was suspended as AGF over an alleged N80 billion fraud.

However, Nwabuoku was removed from office in July 2022, a few weeks after his appointment. He was replaced by Sylva Okolieaboh, a Director at the Treasury Single Account (TSA) Department.

Okolieaboh’s appointment followed reports that Nwabuoku was under EFCC investigation for corruption-related offences.

NAN also reported that on July 10, Nwabuoku and his co-defendants requested more time from the court to complete the refund of the allegedly misappropriated public funds. They urged the judge to postpone their arraignment to allow them to finalize the refund.